Electric light at the end of the tunnel

MUTHANNA / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraqi Minister of Electricity Kareem Waheed on Monday said the problem of electricity will be over once and for all by the year 2011, referring to contracts signed by his ministry recently to build power stations at combined capacity of 10,200 megawatt. “The country’s actual power needs are 12,000 megawatt and by 2011 there will be an energy surplus,” Waheed told Aswat al-Iraq on the sidelines of ceremonies to inaugurate the Samawa power station at a capacity of 60 mw in the presence of in the presence of Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Seiko Hashimoto, the deputy commander of the Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF-I) and Muthanna province officials on Monday. Samawa, the capital city of Muthanna, lies 280 km south of Baghdad. The Electricity Ministry had signed last Monday a contract to import power stations from the U.S. giant General Electric at a capacity of 7,000 megawatt and a cost of $3 billion in a bid to enhance Iraq’s power grid. Yesterday the ministry signed another contract with Siemens to build more stations at a capacity of 3,300 megawatt.
(Aswat Aliraq)

This story from an Iraqi news source (associated with Reuters) indicates two things apart from the story itself. First, the energy picture in Iraq is improving. Second, Iraq is buying stuff from the United States--and that's a good thing. A nation with excess energy might buy more stuff later on, also.

Any evidence that Iraq would have taken a path akin to this under Saddam Hussein?